Danish project set to measure sail-assisted emission reductions in shipping

Danish ship owner and operator Uni-Tankers has equipped its vessel Jutlandia Swan with VentoFoils wingsails to collect new real-life data that will provide insights into the effect of wind-assisted sails on commercial vessels.

The installation of four VentoFoils on Uni-Tankers’ ship is part of the Cleanship project, a Danish research initiative launched in 2024 and led by the Danish Technological Institute in collaboration with partners including Uni-Tankers, Green Instruments, the Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, Danish Shipping, and Danish Maritime.

Supported by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency’s MUDP program with a grant of DKK 18 million (around $2.8 million), the Cleanship project aims to reduce maritime emissions through testing and demonstration of biofuels, energy-saving technologies, and operational optimization.

With the four wingsails onboard, Uni-Tankers’ Jutlandia Swan is gearing up to set sail and carry out the first measurements and provide the shipping industry with a foundation for reducing fuel consumption and emissions, Danish Technolgical Institute said.

For this trial, the wingsails were selected as a practical way to improve energy efficiency, especially during open-sea voyages, by using wind to provide additional thrust and reduce the load on the main engine.

The performance of the VentoFoils will be continuously monitored through the ship’s systems, which track fuel consumption, speed, engine load, and weather conditions.

“This is a key milestone for the Cleanship project as we enter a new phase. By measuring this technology under real-sailing conditions, we can deliver valuable insights into the actual effects of energy-efficient solutions on vessels”, said Julie Tølbøl Rasmussen, Senior Project Manager at the Danish Technological Institute and for the Cleanship project.

Kristian Larsen, Technical Director at Uni-Tankers, added: “Wind-assisted propulsion holds clear potential, but its real value depends on how well it is integrated into daily operations. We now have the opportunity to test how these sails perform at sea, what they mean for fuel efficiency, and how the crew can work with them in practice.”